


find you

by flowersbloomingg (thisisberkk)



Series: imaginings for ff7r [2]
Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: F/M, Falling In Love, First Dates, First Kiss, Gold Saucer (Compilation of FFVII), Post-Final Fantasy VII Remake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-28
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:53:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24961858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thisisberkk/pseuds/flowersbloomingg
Summary: In the middle of their adventure, while at the Gold Saucer, Aerith decides it's time to repay Cloud for his bodyguard work.---An imagining of how the Gold Saucer sequence will go in FF7R.
Relationships: Aerith Gainsborough/Cloud Strife
Series: imaginings for ff7r [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1827421
Comments: 8
Kudos: 56





	find you

**Author's Note:**

> Ahh, it's been a while hasn't it lol  
> Well, I started writing this a while ago, but my laptop went kaploot, and I had to take it into the shop (where they took about a week too long to fix the problem...egageoijewagnewg not happy lol), and I just got it back a few days ago, and I've finished writing this during that time. It's dorky and cheesy, and of course, dialogue was taken from the OG game, but edited a little to fit the situation, and...yeah! I had a lot of fun writing this one. 
> 
> I've got one of the Cosmo Candle in the works, too, as well as some...other scenes lol I also have this whole AU working up for life after Remake if Aerith lives, where Cloud and Aerith live on a farm and they adopt Denzel and it's a whole big fluff fest lol I'll post those eventually haha

Cloud sighed as he looked out the window of the hotel room. Ghosts, real _or_ fake, weren’t his thing by any means, but the “haunted” décor of his, Nanaki, and Barret’s hotel room at the Gold Saucer was so cheesy that Cloud didn’t really mind it. In fact, he barely noticed it now. His mind was on other things – basically in a whole other universe. 

He felt like the weight of the entire Planet and its fate was on his shoulders. There was so much pressure on them. Sephiroth was out there, searching for the Black Materia. The key to the Planet’s destruction. And Cloud and the rest of the group were out to stop him and put an end to it before the world as they knew it would be gone forever.

He never felt he would care this much about saving the Planet, but he was beginning to understand why Barret had been so passionate about blowing up the Mako reactors back in Midgar. Taking responsibility. Making a change. Doing _something_ because this was their last chance, if Sephiroth succeeded, to save the Planet. It was their duty to stop him.

He’d never tell all that shit to Barret, of course. He had a reputation to keep up.

It was getting more difficult to breathe, Cloud was finding, the more he thought about it. He had not had a chance to clear his mind and just take everything in and process the journey at all; even now, when he could, his mind was flooded with so many thoughts he could not sift through and sort into their metaphorical filing cabinets. He was beginning to feel the effects of it all piling up on him. And it was certainly taking a toll. Even with the Mako flowing through his blood, he was… _exhausted._

And what was Aerith talking about, down there in the lobby? What was she going to say after Cloud brought up that all of them were going to go after Sephiroth? She seemed like she knew something the rest of them didn’t.

_“We’re going after Sephiroth,” Cloud explained to Cait Sith, Vincent, and Cid specifically, as they were the ones who had not been involved long enough to know the full story. The rest of the group – Barret, Tifa, Aerith, Nanaki, and Yuffie – all listened closely anyway. “We think Sephiroth is looking for the Promised Land.”_

_Cid furrowed his brows. “The Promised Land?” he asked, as if the phrase was foreign to him. It probably was._

_Cloud nodded his head. “A land full of endless Mako energy…or, at least, that’s what Shinra believe.” He shrugged. “I have no idea if it actually exists.”_

_Aerith stepped forward, her hands behind her back. “The Cetras return to the Promised Land,” she said, her voice much less peppy than it normally was. She stared at the floorboards as she spoke. “When they…die, I mean. It’s…it’s a land that promises boundless happiness.”_

_Cid scrunched up his nose. “Cetra? That some kinda disease?”_

_Aerith sighed. “It’s what the Ancients call themselves…But…no one ‘knows’ where the Promised Land is. You can look and look forever and never find it. Never find it until…you feel it. Like you just know inside of you…‘this is the Promised Land’.”_

_Cloud turned to her. “Aerith…can you feel it?”_

_Aerith looked up and stared directly into Cloud’s Mako eyes. “I think so,” she said, her voice not wavering. They kept their gazes on each other for a few seconds before Tifa interrupted. The two turned away from each other and looked at the martial artist._

_“So…Sephiroth is going all around Gaia because he’s searching for the Promised Land? Is that it?” she asked, her hands on her hips._

_Aerith nodded. “That, and…the other thing he’s searching for.”_

_“The Black Materia,” Cloud said, his voice trailing off._

_Cait Sith’s moogle bounced forward. “I heard from Dio that a man in a black came was lookin’ for the Black Materia!”_

_Tifa huffed and shook her head. “I don’t even know what the black cape is…and how many men with black capes and number tattoos are there?”_

_Nanaki pawed at his nose anxiously. “…you know, of course…my tattoo number 13.”_

_Cloud looked down at the feline. “How did you get the tattoo?”_

_“Hojo,” Nanaki explained. “Everything else…is simply war scars. But the number was done by Hojo.”_

_“So there are at least thirteen?!”_

_“You know…” Aerith said, “…Hojo…might’ve done something to those men…I’m not sure…and I don’t know what it has to do with Sephiroth…” She looked up. “That’s why I said we should just go after Sephiroth himself. He’s the real enemy – not Shinra or whoever those guys in the black capes. It’s Sephiroth.”_

_Barret raised his fist in the air. “Yeah, me too! It’s all just too damn confusin’.”_

_Aerith nodded. “And…” she stopped in her trails, and then hastily shook her head. “…uh…never mind! Forget it. That was it. I’m…I think I’m tired. I’m going to bed now. See you all in the morning!” Without another word, she ducked her head and turned around, running up the stairs, leaving the rest of the group confused and concerned._

Cloud sighed. She was a confusing one, for sure.

He would find out what she was going to say eventually.

He leaned his head against the wall and looked out. Cid had retired with Vincent to their room, so Cid wasn’t outside, smoking his nightly cigarettes to decompress. Nanaki was probably out, basking in the full moon. Barret was getting a drink with Tifa; they said they were going to do that earlier, when they first arrived to the Gold Saucer. Cait Sith…Cloud wasn’t sure. He didn’t see where he went. Probably to his room that he shared with Vincent and Cid to recharge his batteries…literally. Yuffie was probably in the girls’ room, looking through her lot of Materia. And Aerith was with her. She had run off so quickly that Cloud wouldn’t be surprised if she had gone to sleep already.

Cloud sighed, closing his eyes, feeling a slight sense of relief at not having to look at anything for a few moments. He would probably follow Aerith in suit and head to bed soon. He wasn’t necessarily tired, but he knew it would be best to at least _try_ to get some rest. He knew his mind was exhausted, even if his body wasn’t, thanks to the mako and the SOLDIER training.

He felt a sharp pang to his forehead. Cloud closed his eyes tightly and clenched his teeth, willing the pain to pass. He had been getting slightly better at suppressing them, but they still pained his entire body whenever he had them. Cloud groaned and placed a hand on his forehead. _How had he been trained to stay awake for so long? Who taught him? Why can’t he remember? Why? Why?_

He was brought out of his headache with a rhythmic knocking on his door. Cloud turned, his brows furrowed. Maybe Barret was going to go to sleep for the night, and he forgot his keycard in the room. But Cloud remembered giving him one. Unless he already lost it. Typical.

Cloud walked up to the door and opened it. His head had a dull ache still but being brought back to reality helped him be able to at least function.

Cloud was quickly surprised by the sight of none other than Aerith Gainsborough standing there in the hallway of the hotel, her arms behind her back, her hair freshly braided (it had begun to fall out of its style during the events of the day), and a cheeky smile on her face. A stark contrast to how she looked when he last saw her.

“Aerith?” Cloud asked. “What’s wrong?”

Aerith giggled, and she stepped into the room as Cloud subconsciously took a step back. “Oh, nothing!”

“Then…what are you doing here?”

“What, don’t want to see me?”

Cloud stared at her. “N-no, I just-”

Aerith smiled and interrupted him before he awkwardly began to ramble. Words always seemed to escape him when he was around her. “I was thinking…I’m not really that tired yet.”

Cloud quirked an eyebrow.

“And the night is still young!” Aerith continued, looking deeply into Cloud’s eyes. “So…wanna go on a date?”

Cloud took a step back again, his eyes widening. “What?”

Aerith laughed gleefully. “A _date_ , silly goose! I still you owe you one, don’t I?”

Cloud blinked. He felt his cheeks go slightly pink. “Uh…I-I mean…”

“ _So_ , let’s go on a date! We’ve got all of the Gold Saucer to explore!” Aerith exclaimed. She smiled at him. “C’mon! When am I ever going to have another change to repay you, hm?” She gestured with her head to the open door. “Let’s go!” She rushed behind Cloud and began to shove him out of the room.

“H-hey!” Cloud retorted.

Aerith, as usual, didn’t seem to care. “Let’s mosey!”

\---------------------------------

Cloud would never admit it out loud, but his heart was beating exceptionally fast as Aerith led him with a cheerful smile and light conversation to the Gold Saucer station. Well, more like _Aerith_ spoke about how she had always wanted to visit the Gold Saucer when she was little, what rides and activities they were going to do, and how nice of a break this was going to be, all while Cloud tried to remember how to breathe the entire time.

Why was he so nervous? This was Aerith, for Christ’s sake.

Well…Cloud assumed that might be _why he_ was nervous. Yes, they’ve been on the road together for the past few weeks, but…there was something about being alone with Aerith that just made his heart race and his mind turn to shambles.

And no matter how many times he tried to put up a front that he was cool and collected, she always saw through it. Cloud felt like he could be honest with her. Talk to her about anything. And she was open, with willing and welcoming arms – something Cloud wasn’t used to. After all, he had been alone for most of his childhood, with no friends. He doesn’t even remember any war buddies-

God, these headaches were going to get the best of him.

They arrived at the station of the Gold Saucer after a short walk. People were roaming around, going down the various tube slides that led to the different areas of the park. Aerith was about to suggest they check their GP and decide from there what to do first when a Gold Saucer employee, who stood nearby, began to make an announcement to the crowd.

“Tonight is Enchantment Night!” he exclaimed. “All attractions at the Gold Saucer are free tonight, and tonight only! No GP required! I repeat: Tonight is Enchantment Night! All attractions at the Gold Saucer are free tonight, and tonight only! In twenty minutes, a showing of the Gold Saucer’s Fairy Tale Play will begin in Event Square! Make sure to head over there soon if you want to get good seats!”

“Enchantment Night?” Cloud asked more to himself than anyone else.

“Looks like I picked the perfect night for our date, huh?” Aerith said with a giggle. It made Cloud think she knew about it all along, but he didn’t say anything about it. “Everything’s free! Perfect for you, huh, Mr. Cheapskate?” Cloud opened his mouth to retort, but, as always, Aerith was quick to the punch. “C’mon! Let’s check out that show in Event Square. That sounds like fun! Then we can go on some rides!”

So, Cloud let Aerith lead him down the slide to Event Square without another word from him. As always, he would never say it out loud, but the excited squeal Aerith let out as they rushed down the slide was all he needed to encourage him to go down with her and to not complain about having to see some show.

He thought about it. Before her dad got Mako poisoning, wasn’t Jessie supposed to be in a play at the Gold Saucer? As a princess? He remembered reading that in the letter she wrote to her dad when Cloud was in his room, looking for the Shinra ID.

Cloud sighed. He didn’t know Jessie that well. The first time they met was right before they hijacked the train that would take them to Sector 1, where they would bomb the Mako reactor. They weren’t close by any means, and he didn’t know her too well, but Cloud knew she would’ve been really great at a role like the princess at the Gold Saucer theatre, and she would’ve gone far, had she been able to make her big break. 

Cloud and Aerith stood in line of fellow attendees, waiting to get past the Gold Saucer employee and go to their seats. There seemed to be a decent number of people there, and cheesy, renaissance instrumental music that played on the overhead speakers, though it was meshing awfully with the flamboyant Gold Saucer carnival-like music playing in the other squares.

Cloud rolled his shoulder and tried not to look too bothered or annoyed. Aerith was excited, after all. And he was glad to be able to see her this excited. This was her night, and he wanted to allow her to have as much fun as she wanted.

Suddenly, running up the stairs was another Gold Saucer employee, this one with a headset mic and a clipboard in his hands, so he clearly was involved in the theatrical production somehow. He looked far more frantic than the one letting people into the theater.

“Oh, what am I going to do? What am I going to do? Ugh, and on _Enchantment Night of all nights_!” the theater employee muttered to himself, loud enough for everyone around to hear.

“Wonder what’s going on,” Aerith mused, watching as the man worriedly mumbled about how everything was going to shambles.

The anxious employee approached the one letting people into the seating area, who just let the family of four in front of Cloud and Aerith into the theater. “We just lost our hero and princess,” he whispered to the employee.

“What happened?” the other asked, now turning away from Cloud and Aerith to discuss the issue. Cloud huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Hero has food poisoning, and princess has lost her voice,” the stagehand confirmed. He shook his head. “It’s Enchantment Night, and we’re not going to have a play without the hero and princess! I’m going to lose my career forever! I’m done for! I have a wife and three kids to feed, and I’m about to lose my _entire_ job! I’m going to be homeless, man! I can’t handle another disaster like this!”

“It’s fine; I’m sure we can figure something out,” the employee replied, turning to Cloud and Aerith. “Seats for you two together?”

“Yes, please!” Aerith exclaimed brightly.

The stagehand’s eyes brightened as he looked over at the merc and flower girl. He placed an arm out in front of the seat guy, stopping him from gesturing to where Cloud and Aerith were going to sit. “Wait – you two have any experience in theater?”

“Uh…not really?” Aerith replied, furrowing her brows. “Um…I was in a Christmas pageant when I was-”

The stagehand swatted his hand in the air. “Ah, I don’t care! A good-looking couple like you two could distract anybody!” he exclaimed. “How would you two like to be our hero and princess for the show tonight? Just this once! We’re in desperate need!”

“Huh?” was all Cloud could manage to say, taken aback. They just wanted to have two random people get up and perform in front of everyone? At last minute, too? Of course. Just Cloud’s luck. He couldn’t get a normal night no matter how hard he tried.

“It’s not going to be that hard,” he continued. “I’ll give you the script. You’ve got about…” he checked the watch on his wrist, “…eh, ten minutes to get the basic idea of the story. The cast will go along with you if you forget your lines or take the plot in another direction, I’m sure, but _please_! We need the show to go on, otherwise my career is _done for_!”

Aerith pursed her lips. “Mmm…I don’t think I’m that good of an actress…”

“Nonsense! I’m sure you’re fine! Please! I beg you!”

“I mean…it does sound like fun,” Aerith replied. Cloud slumped his shoulders, and she turned to him with her hands on her hips. “Come on, Cloud! Let’s help him out. What do you say?”

“Yes, please!” the stagehand pleaded. It almost seemed like he was giving Cloud puppy-dog eyes – that’s how desperate this man was.

Cloud sighed and tried not to roll his eyes. “Fine.” He was about to add “but it’ll cost you”, but the employee was already grabbing them by the arms and leading them down the steps of the theater, towards backstage.

“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, _thank you_!” the stagehand exclaimed. “You’ve just saved a poor man’s career! I hope you know this! This is going to be _amazing_!”

Aerith looked over at Cloud and gave him a grateful and excited smile. “This is going to be so fun, Cloud!”

Cloud looked over her face, and then turned away. “Whatever you say.”

The man led them backstage, and shoved them both into separate dressing rooms, shouting for costume and makeup to get in there pronto. “Scripts, too! Get them scripts! The show’s on in eight minutes and thirty-seven seconds, and I’m _not_ here to waste time!”

Cloud shuddered as the door to his dressing room slammed shut, leaving him alone. What in the world had Aerith just gotten him into? He was fine with it being a date, but now it’s turned into him becoming an actor for the night. God, the things he’s doing for this girl. She has a way of getting Cloud out of his comfort zone; that was for sure.

He was about to take a deep breath and settle onto the couch when his door bust open again, this time a woman with a garment bag with what Cloud presumed to be his costume inside. She eyed Cloud over, and she let out a sigh. “ _God_ , you’re scrawny. I’m going to have to do adjustments. _Of course_. Now crazy-lunatic stage manager is going to freak out at me.”

Cloud made an offended look at the woman.

She tossed the bag to him before she turned around to leave. “Get dressed. Now. I need to get my safety pins…” She slammed the door shut behind her.

Cloud rolled his eyes as he stripped from his SOLDIER uniform and into the…very gaudy hero costume. As the costumer suggested, it was a bit big on him; the original hero actor was probably a lot taller than Cloud, as well as…not as scrawny.

It was a pair of blue pants, which Cloud tucked into his boots. He had a white royal jacket, adorned with gold clasps and gold shoulder pads. There was also a gold belt, which Cloud wrapped around his middle.

God, he felt gaudy. Anything for Aerith, he supposed.

Right as he finished dressing himself, the door burst open again, this time, the costumer as well as who Cloud assumed was the team of makeup artists (he could tell by the many totes they all were carrying) came piling in. One of the makeup artists handed Cloud a stack of papers without a word. Cloud looked at it confusedly, flipping it over in his hands.

“It’s the script, Alfred. You’ve got five minutes to learn it,” one of the makeup artists said as they began to apply foundation to his face, as well as the costumer stepping behind him to begin to pin the jacket so it fit Cloud better. “You also _really_ need to get yourself a cleanser. These pores are offending me.”

“Close your eyes; I’m doing your eyeliner,” another voice said.

“How am I supposed to look at the script if my eyes are closed?” Cloud asked as he did as he was told, instantly feeling pressure on his eyelid as the artist drew on his eyeliner.

“Not my problem,” they replied sassily. Cloud huffed. “Just get it done. I’m not losing my job today, either.”

“I didn’t ask for this,” Cloud retorted.

“Once again: not my problem.” And the subject was dropped.

“How many makeup artists are over with the girl?” one of the artists asked.

“I don’t know. But she needs a lot of work. She’s very…plain. Don’t know why Mr. Boss Man got her to be the replacement princess. Figured he’d at least pick someone who had decent makeup skills already. Less work for us that way. She needs…a lot done.”

Cloud’s fist tightened into a grip.

“Hey,” he said sternly as the makeup artist pulled back from his eyes, finished with the eyeliner. Cloud opened his eyes and looked around, getting used to the new feeling on his eyelids. “Don’t talk about her that way.”

“Hmm…touchy,” the costumer mumbled, but she continued pinning Cloud’s jacket.

Cloud rolled his eyes and looked down at the script as they continued to fix his costume and do his makeup. He skimmed through it lightly to get the basic idea; there was no way in hell he was going to be memorizing all these damn lines and movements and whatever the else. He was going to do the bare minimum, honestly – just get the story to where it needed to go so he and Aerith could get out ASAP.

The plot seemed simple enough. King’s daughter Rosa gets taken by the evil dragon king, king calls in legendary hero Alfred to save her, hero saves her, the end. Everyone goes home and forgets about the play moments after they leave, and everyone moves on with their lives. Bing, bang, boom, the end.

Pretty soon, he was all dressed, had his makeup on, and mic’ed up, just seconds before the narrator went on stage to introduce the story and begin the production. The stagehand seemed to have calmed down from the franticness of having to find replacements right before the show started, but, of course, the show was just about to start, which meant there was a flurry of anxiety backstage to get everything ready.

“Okay, just remember that if you screw up, the cast members will cover for you,” he told Cloud as the lights went dim out in the theater. They were standing in the left wing of the stage as they waited for the show to officially begin. “And if you completely mess up…well, just know that you ruined a man’s career.” He patted Cloud on the shoulder.

“Yeah, because I asked for this…” Cloud mumbled, glad his mic was off. His face felt heavy and slightly itchy from the makeup, and this God-awful costume was not the most comfortable thing in the world, especially with all the pins keeping the jacket fitting him properly. He felt a few poking him in the back from the haphazard job the costumer did in order to get Cloud ready in time. He couldn’t wait to get this over with. Hopefully the show wasn’t _that_ long…

The lights fully dimmed, and the music quieted down. A voice came over the overhead speakers. “Welcome one and all to a special performance of _A Gold Saucer Fairy Tale_!” a man’s voice spoke. “Please, no flash photography or filming for the sake of our actors. Please take note of exit points in case you need to leave at any point during the production. And, as always, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!”

The audience clapped as the stage curtains were pulled back, and as a spotlight shown to the right side of the stage, and a man dressed in a peasant’s costume walked out from the wings. Cloud tried to get a peek to see if Aerith was visible on the other side, but all he saw were backstage crew. 

The man bowed before he began to speak. “Long, long ago…there was a peaceful kingdom – Galdia. It was ruled over by a mighty yet kind king. His name was King Antonio. His family ruled over the kingdom for many generations, and soon, his young daughter, Princess Rosa, would find a suitor, whom she would marry. Together, they would rule the Kingdom of Galdia into a new generation.”

The spotlight turned off as the narrator walked off stage. Rushing past Cloud, the actor who played the king went on stage, just as the stage lights came on. Two actors dressed as servants had run on from the other side, and they stood slightly facing the king, but their faces still visible to the audience.

The king stepped forward. “My dear Princess Rosa is almost sixteen years of age!” he exclaimed. “It is almost time for her to wed to whoever may be the future King of Galdia!” He placed his hands behind his back. “My dear servants, this a momentous time in the span of our kingdom. A new generation of rulers – ones who will reign victorious and allow this place to prosper. Oh, dear me, I simply wish she could be married now, so I might be able to see what might become of this kingdom before I die.”

“Suitors are already showing their interest in Princess Rosa,” one of the servants said. “From all over Gaia.”

“Princes, noblemen, the rich…it seems like every man wishes to wed Princess Rosa!” the other exclaimed.

“Oh, Princess Rosa _is_ the most beautiful princess – she takes after her mother’s looks, I must say,” the king mused. “But I certainly hope whoever she decides to be her husband will bring a bright future for Galdia. Now, go fetch the princess and bring her to me, so we might discuss how we will go about deciding-”

“King Antonio! King Antonio!” a voice sounded from the other wings. Another servant came rushing onto the stage, looking as frantic as the man in charge of the show.

“What is it, dear servant?” the king questioned.

“Princess Rosa has been kidnapped!” he exclaimed. It seemed too fake for Cloud’s taste.

“ _What_?” the king shouted. “What do you mean, ‘kidnapped’? How dare you say such a thing!”

“I was about to check on Princess Rosa, but her quarters were empty! Her room is completely scorched. Burn marks everywhere! It seems…”

The king’s eyes widened dramatically. “This can’t be…”

“It sounds a lot like it, your majesty…” one of the servants said, his voice shaking.

“I wouldn’t be able to bear it!” the king exclaimed, clutching his chest dramatically. “It is just how I lost my precious queen.”

One of the servants gasped. “It can’t be…”

The narrator came back on stage as the lights dimmed down, the actors frozen in their places. The spotlight shown on the narrator. “And it was. The dear princess Rosa was kidnapped. Kidnapped by the one and only…Evil Dragon King, Valvados. Valvados lived on a mountain on the outskirts of Galdia. He was evil and treacherous, and he had a _bad_ history with the people of Galdia. He kidnapped King Antonio’s wife after Princess Rosa was born, and when guards went searching for her, they found her dead near Valvados’s mountain. Those guards fought the dragon, but they were unsuccessful. And now, Valvados had Princess Rosa. What will become of her?” He stepped aside, the spotlight turning off. The stage lights turned back on, and the scene that had been happening resumed.

“We must find her! Before it is too late!” the king announced. “Send out all the troops! All the guards! Whoever can aid in her rescue!”

“Your Majesty, if I may, that is what we did last time, and it didn’t work. I suggest we go about it…a _different_ way,” one of the servants said. “Our troops are simply not strong enough to stand up against Valvados.”

The king stroked his beard. “Hmm…you may be right. But whatever will we do? My one and only daughter is kidnapped by the Evil Dragon King, and there is no clear way to go about rescuing her!”

“I have a suggestion!” the servant who reported Rosa’s kidnap exclaimed. “Why don’t we call upon the legendary hero, Alfred? Surely he would know what to do.”

“Alfred! Of course! He must know what to do! What better man to call upon than him?” the king exclaimed.

The narrator appeared again, the lights dimming on stage. The spotlight came on once more. “So, the king sent out word for Alfred to come to their assistance. Right away, Alfred came to the castle to hear about the situation at hand.” The spotlight turned off, the narrator left the stage, and the scene resumed.

Except this time, all of the actors stood still awkwardly. Cloud furrowed his brows. What were they doing? Were they waiting for someone?

Without warning, someone shoved Cloud so forcefully that he was now on stage, just barely in view of the audience.

“Uh…”

“Hey, it’s your line!” someone whisper-exclaimed from off stage.

Cloud turned to see who said it, but he was quickly interrupted by the king clearing his throat.

“Oh… _you_ must be the legendary hero, Alfred! I…I know it, in my soul! Please…please save Princess Rosa!”

Cloud realized that, oh yeah, he was supposed to be playing Alfred. Guess he forgot about that while watching the show. He internally sighed, since he knew he couldn’t out loud, in case his mic was on. “Um…yes, I am Alfred,” he said, internally cringing at his use of the word “um”. “I am here to save Princess Rosa.”

“Oh, you’ve come in the nick of time!” the king said, coming over to Cloud. “Thank you, legendary hero Alfred. You have come to save my beloved Rosa…on the peak of a dangerous mountain on the outskirts of town….dwells the Evil Dragon King, Valvados. He has kidnapped my dear Princess Rosa….” He looked off to the side. “But…I think you might need some assistance. So, I have also called upon my dear friend, the great, all-knowing wizard, Vorman!” Cloud remembered there being slightly more dialogue when he was skimming through the script, but the actor for the king probably thought that Cloud had failed to remember _everything_ , so the show was certainly moving a lot faster than expected.

From the other side of the stage, a man with a nearly floor-length silver beard and a large purple cloak with a matching pointy hat, appeared. “Ah! I have been summoned!” he exclaimed in a blatantly fake elderly voice. He approached the king. “My dear friend King Antonio, your servants have informed me of the situation, and I am here to provide my assistance.”

“Ah, yes! Thank you, Vorman,” the king said. He gestured to Cloud. “This is the legendary hero, Alfred. He is on mission to save my daughter.” Cloud bowed his head as greeting to the fake wizard. “But first, we require your assistance.”

“I…I need your wisdom, Wizard Vorman,” Cloud explained, placing his hands behind his back, not quite sure what to do with them. He wished he had more time to prepare.

…not that he _wanted_ to be doing this, by any means. But…he just…yeah.

“What would you like to know, Alfred?” the wizard asked, stroking his beard with one of his hands.

Cloud blinked. What was it that he was supposed to ask? The mountain’s location? Why the dragon king took Rosa? Rosa’s measurements?

Oh, right. Duh.

“I would like to know Vorman’s weakness,” he answered as he walked towards the wizard, “so that I might stop him and bring Princess Rosa back to the kingdom and…restore the peace.”

“Ahh, yes! Of course! The weakness of the Evil Dragon King!” the wizard exclaimed. He stepped forward, and he tapped his forehead with his pointer finger, showing visually that he was pondering. “Hmm…what is it…what is his weakness! It must be…yes, it must be…I’ve got it!” He turned to Cloud excitedly. “True love! The power of true love is the only weapon that can withstand the fangs of the Evil Dragon King!”

The lights dimmed, and Cloud nearly forgot that he was supposed to remain frozen in place as the spotlight came on the narrator, who appeared yet again. “Oh, what is going to happen next, dear audience? Just as our hero Alfred began to contemplate the meaning of the wizard’s words…something appeared!”

Unlike the way he had been slowly walking off, the narrator ran off the stage this time, and as the spotlight turned off and the lights turned back on, two people dressed in a single dragon costume – one at the front and one at the rear – rushed from the opposite wings.

And in the “dragon’s” arms…

…was Aerith.

Dressed to the nines, in a gorgeous, pink ballgown with a sweetheart neckline. The skirt sparkled with the lights off the stage. Her hair draped in long curls, a silver tiara resting at the crown of her head. She had a lot more makeup on than usual – winged eyeliner, silver and pink eyeshadow, coral blush, and rose lip color.

Cloud knew Aerith absolutely despised gaudy and extravagant getups like this, based on the whole experience in Wall Market, but _God_ , was she beautiful. Cloud honestly had no idea what those makeup artists were talking about when they said she needed a lot of work. Even without all this princess shit (but, of course, _with_ the princess shit, too), she was probably the most beautiful woman Cloud had ever seen in his entire life.

They made eye contact, and it took all of Cloud’s strength to not grin at the sight of her. Aerith even looked like she was trying to stifle a giggle at Cloud’s reaction. Cloud cleared his throat lightly and shook his head to get his mind back on track – they still had a play to finish, after all.

“Princess Rosa!” the king exclaimed, the scene continuing. He sneered at the dragon and gestured to it. “And you!”

“Gaaah!” the dragon shouted, raising his arms to the air majestically. “I am the Evil Dragon King, Valvados! I have not harmed the princess. I have been expecting…” he turned to Cloud, “you!”

“Me?” Cloud questioned, pointing to himself. 

“Please, please help me, legendary hero!” Aerith exclaimed, looking directly at Cloud, an overly-dramatic pleading look in her eyes. She definitely _wasn’t_ the best actress, but she certainly got her points across.

A pain came to his forehead and spread from his spine all the way to the rest of his body. It was intense, and it felt like electric currents were being shot throughout his nerves. Cloud clenched his teeth, trying to block it out. _Why now_? Why did it have to be now, when Aerith was right in front of him, as well as an entire audience full of people? He tried to shake it off.

“Gaaah!” the dragon shouted, coming towards Cloud. “Legendary hero…Alfred!”

“Alfred, remember! An act of true love will save your beloved! A kiss! The perfect act of true love!” the wizard exclaimed, standing far back from the dragon.

Cloud sighed. _Of course_ he knew what he had to do. The excited look in Aerith’s eyes was all Cloud needed to know what his next move was. He huffed and shook his head, the pain from his headache still there, but the mission on his mind blocking most of it all.

He approached Aerith, took her by the hand, and he pulled her from the dragon’s grasp, probably far too easily for it to be believable. Aerith quirked a smile at him, and that gave Cloud all the power to kneel down in front of her. With a flourish, he held her hand gently in his and pressed a smooth, romantic kiss to her knuckles. 

Aerith’s cheeks turned bright pink – brighter than they already were, because of the stage makeup. “Oh, Cloud…uh, I mean…Alfred!”

As Cloud stood back up, the dragon convulsed while also clearly just walking off stage to the wings. “Ah! Curses! The power of…love!” he shouted dramatically.

“Oh, look! Love has triumphed! My daughter has returned home!” the king exclaimed, looking lovingly at Aerith, who was still holding to Cloud’s hand. And Cloud, frankly, wasn’t making any moves to pull away. Aerith intertwined their fingers, and she held his hand tightly. Cloud could feel her excitement radiating off her. 

The king walked over to them and placed a hand on Cloud’s shoulder. “Alfred, thank you for saving my daughter!” He smiled at Aerith. “And Rosa, I’m so glad to have you back home! Now, let’s all celebrate. We have much to discuss! Something about suitors, hm?” He began to walk off stage with the Wizard, but Aerith was quick to interrupt them.

“Uh, I think we don’t need to talk about suitors anymore,” she said. She looked up at Cloud, her green eyes nearly making Cloud melt right then and there. “I think…I’ve already found the one.”

The king’s eyes widened. “Legendary hero Alfred?”

Aerith nodded her head.

The king clasped his hands together. “Even more reason to celebrate! Come! Love has triumphed!”

“Yes, let’s…yes, let’s!” the wizard exclaimed. And together, the four of them walked off stage.

The lights dimmed and the narrator returned to the stage, the spotlight on. “Oh, how profound the story of love! And so, the legendary hero Alfred and our story live on…happily ever after!” he exclaimed.

The audience applauded loudly, and before Cloud could even turn to Aerith to speak to her (or even realize that they were _still_ holding hands), they were being shoved back on stage with the rest of the cast. They walked out to the center stage, the cheesy renaissance music playing over the speaks again. The cast grinned widely, and they all took their bows.

Aerith giggled and turned to Cloud as she waved to the audience’s applause, much like the rest of the cast and crew were doing. “We did it, Cloud!”

Cloud just shrugged his shoulders. “Yep.”

Aerith smiled and squeezed his hand. “You did great!”

“You’re beautiful,” Cloud choked out. His eyes went wide when he realized what he said. He thanked God their mics had been turned off by the sound people while they were briefly backstage.

Aerith’s cheeks blushed even more, and she simply turned back to the crowd and continued to wave at them until the curtains came down.

Cloud…didn’t notice the audience at all.

\------------------------------------

After changing back out of their costumes, wiping off their makeup, and trying to escape doing another showing of the play at some point in the future (being told by the stage manager that it was the most chemistry he had seen in a theatrical production since the first showing of _LOVELESS_ ), Aerith and Cloud made their way up the stairs of the amphitheater, heading back to the station.

“It’s getting kind of late,” she mused to him. “So…probably not enough time to do any rides. Maybe we should go on the gondola and then head back to the hotel.”

“Whatever you want,” Cloud replied.

So, off they went to Round Square. There was no line, since most people had gone home after the play, since it was getting late into the night. Luckily, that meant Cloud and Aerith were let on to a gondola right away.

They sat across from each other in the rather small space. Their knees were nearly touching because of the cramped area. Different writings and markings were all around the gondola space, with couples having written the date they went on, or some people writing their phone numbers in hopes of a single person finding it and calling them. There was a single window to their right, which showed the entirety of the Gold Saucer from its view.

Soon enough, they were taking off, and they were getting higher and higher above the ground with every second that passed. Aerith stared longingly out the window, entranced by the view of all the lights and spectacles of the Gold Saucer. Her eyes brightened with the stars that were beginning to appear in the sky, and the smile on her face was something Cloud could not tear his eyes away from.

She giggled as they passed by the Chocobo racetrack. “The yellow one is going to win,” she pointed out. “I think that was the Chocobo Ester had you use.” She looked over at Cloud with a smirk.

“So you’re saying it was the Chocobo and not me,” Cloud remarked.

Aerith snickered. “No,” she drew out. “You _are_ a jack-of-all-trades, Mr. Everything. Bodyguarding, mercenary work, dancing, Chocobo racing, and now _acting_? What other talents are you hiding?”

Cloud shrugged. “Gonna cost you to find out.”

Aerith smiled. “More dates?”

“If this one goes well,” he replied. “But…considering I had to get in a gaudy prince costume and pretend to be the hero of the world…”

“Oh, come on! You had fun!” Aerith exclaimed, hitting his arm lightly. “You looked like you were enjoying yourself.”

“ _Acting_.”

Aerith rolled her eyes. “Of course,” she replied. “Maybe I can get a redo.”

“Don’t say that just yet; date’s not over.”

She smiled, and she turned away from Cloud to look back out the window. She let out a long sigh as her eyes danced over the view. “Wow, it’s…it’s so beautiful,” Aerith whispered. Just then, a loud bang sounded from outside the window. Aerith’s eyes widened, and her smile grew wider as colors began to flash on her face. “Oh, Cloud! Look!”

Cloud leaned over and glanced out the window, seeing fireworks flashing up in the sky. They were all sorts of different colors – pink, yellow, green, blue…It was really quite a mesmerizing sight. He hadn’t expected that from a place as commercialized as the Gold Saucer.

Aerith smiled. “…it’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she asked, leaning away from the window.

Cloud did the same and nodded his head. “Uh…yeah,” he said.

Aerith stared at him for a few moments, her smile slightly faltering. Cloud instantly feared he had said something wrong, but Aerith spoke up before he could question anything. “At first…I remember being bothered by how much…you two looked alike. Two completely different people…but look exactly the same…the way you walk, gesture…” She shook her head. “I remember…at first, I must have seen parts of him in you…” She looked deeply into his eyes. “But, Cloud, you’re different. You’re _so_ different from him. And things _now_ are different. And…I…I’m seeing that…you’re nothing like him. In the _best_ way.” She sighed, taking a few moments to breathe and process what she was going to say next.

“Cloud…I’m searching for you.”

Cloud stared at her, not really knowing what to say.

“I want to…meet you, Cloud.”

Cloud furrowed his brows. “But…I’m right here,” he replied awkwardly.

Aerith slumped her shoulders. “I know, I know…what I mean is…I want to meet… _you_. The real Cloud Strife.” She shook her head. “He’s…he’s hiding in there. And I…I want to find him.”

Cloud leaned over, and he rested a hand on her cheek. “I’m sorry,” Aerith whispered. “It’s just…been on my mind, and I wanted to-”

Without even fully processing it, Cloud leaned over and kissed her lips. Right then and there, his lips met hers. Aerith gasped at first, not fully processing what was happening. But once her brain caught up to her actions, she was kissing him back, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly, holding him close to her.

Cloud pulled away far too quickly for her liking, however. His lips left a lingering want in her mind – a craving for more.

Cloud Strife had just _kissed her_. He just _kissed her_. Right here, right now. This was definitely something Aerith wasn’t expecting to happen tonight, but frankly, she was _not_ upset. Not upset in the slightest.

She was about to kiss him again when Cloud spoke up.

“I don’t know what you mean,” he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers, “but…I want to meet him, too.”

Aerith smiled. “Cloud…”

Just as those words left her mouth, the gondola came to a sudden stop, and the doors slid open. They were back at the station. The two awkwardly separated when the employee at the round square gestured for them to leave the gondola, since the park was about to close for the evening. Cloud and Aerith got up from their seats and left the square without another word, heading back to the station in silence, pondering the words they shared.

Aerith stopped them in the center of the station. It was completely abandoned, so no one was around to hear them.

Aerith giggled. “So…would you say this date went well?” she asked, a complete change of attitude from how she was earlier. Weren’t they just having a serious conversation in the gondola just a few moments prior?

Cloud shrugged.

“Oh come on! That’s not an answer!” Aerith exclaimed.

“Still haven’t forgiven you for making me be a prince.”

“You were a _legendary hero_ , Cloud! And you had fun! I know you did!” Aerith said, jabbing his chest with her finger before placing her hands on her hips. “I think…we should do this again sometime. Unless you…actually _didn’t_ have fun.”

“That’s not it,” Cloud replied.

“Well, I’m glad,” Aerith said. “Next time, let’s take our time and go on more rides. Explore more.”

Cloud nodded. “Yeah,” he agreed.

“So there _will_ be a next time?” Aerith asked gleefully.

“In your dreams,” Cloud said. “C’mon. Let’s mosey.”

Aerith giggled. “Let’s!” she exclaimed as Cloud began to saunter towards the slide that would lead them back to the haunted hotel. “But…for real, Cloud. Thank you for tonight. You are…officially relieved from bodyguard duty.”

“Not until I get you back to the hotel,” Cloud reminded her.

Aerith laughed. “Of course. But then you might need help getting to your room, huh? You could get lost.”

Cloud rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t.”

“See? You never like to admit when you’re wrong!” She poked his chest yet again. “You just _hate_ asking for help!”

Cloud stepped forward, heading towards the slide that led back to the hotel. “Let’s just head out,” he said; they’d already had this debate many times before, and Aerith would never let Cloud’s inability to request assistance or admittance of him being wrong go.

Aerith nodded and was about to skip forward to join him, before she stopped. “Oh, but one more thing.”

Cloud quirked an eyebrow at her, halting his track. He was about to ask her what the “one more thing” could possibly be, since the park was literally minutes away from closing, when...

…Aerith pressed a kiss to his cheek.

She smiled and placed a hand to his cheek, which he knew was definitely a bright shade of red from the nerves. “Thank you. Really. I had…a lot of fun tonight. And…I’ll always cherish and remember this night.”

“Aerith-” He was about to speak about how he wished she didn’t speak cryptically as if this was the last night they would ever have together, when he heard a noise coming from behind him. He hastily turned around, and…

“Cait Sith?”

…looks like those thoughts were just going to have to wait.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think! <3 
> 
> Stay safe out there, everyone!!!


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